Headteacher Kevin Mann said the school regards itself as one of the top five in the North-east - attributing its success to the teachers and pupils.

Mr Mann, who has been head for eight years, said: “It’s a nice combination of outstanding, solid teaching on a day-to-day basis from people who really care and children who really want to learn.

“Children believe they are coming to a good school and staff want to make sure that every child succeeds. Put that together with a great building and you come up with pretty strong results."

League tables and official education statistics - which show how students perform in GCSEs - don’t always tell the full story.

And primary and secondary schools already produce a wide range of data.

But, by combining relevant information – such as how students from deprived backgrounds perform and the number of pupils who fail to get jobs or go into training – with the latest exam results, the Gazette's Real Schools Guide is able to give a more-rounded picture.

Nunthorpe Academy was the top secondary school in Redcar and Cleveland.

It scored 59.5 out of 100 - coming 712th of 3,079 state schools.

It was awarded five stars for attainment and achieved an average four-star rating.

Debbie Clinton, the principal of the school on Guisborough Road, said: “Getting an accolade like this is lovely for the children and the community.

"What we do is approach everything with a relentless attention to detail, whether its making sure staff teach the best lessons possible to making sure pupils equip themselves properly.”

Macmillan Academy was Middlesbrough’s top school, with a score of 52.3 out of 100.

The school on Stockton Road ranked 1,386th of the 3,000-plus state schools surveyed, earning a five-star rating in the outcomes category with an average three-star rating.

Headteacher Phil Latham said: “It’s always pleasing to receive any external recognition and I’m delighted that we got five stars for outcome as we put in a great deal of energy to make sure students are well prepared for life after the academy.

“In terms of attainment our 2013 results were significantly higher than in 2012 and I would like to think this would be a positive story in next year’s rankings.”